Mouthpiece puller



Patented Aug. 19, 1941 MOUTHPIECE PULLER Josephus Thompson, Covington, Ohio, assigner of one-tenth to Grossman Music Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a partnership composed of Julius I. Grossman and Henry S. Grossman Application October 11, 1940, Serial No. 360,785

1 claim. (o1. zei- 85)Vv This invention relates to pullers and extractors and' particularly to devices used to remove the mouth-piece of ahorn type ban-d instrument from the instrument proper.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of this invention, it should be pointed out that musical instruments such as cornets, trumpets, trombones, and similar horns have mouth-piece portions which should be easily removable to permit a cleaning of the instrument, permit a more compact packing inthe carrying case, and also enable the playerY to quickly remove the saliva and moisture which naturally accumulates therein.

Saliva, because of its acidity, corrodes the metal of the instrument, particularly Where the mouth-piece portion engages the instrument. In a relatively short time the mouth-piece becornes` difficult to remove. This is particularly so if the instrument is allowed to stand assembled for some time without being used. Very frequently the two parts become adhered together so `tightly that theyy cannot be removed without considera-ble difliculty and very often one or the other of the-parts is damaged, if not actually ruined, .in the attemptto separate them.

It should also be noted that such mouth-pieces invariably have a constricted channel, referred to in the trade as a chambered throat, and hence internally operated devices such as conventional bushing pullers do not serve the purpose.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide an instrument which will quickly Iand ea-sily remove the mouth-piece from a band instrument.

Another object is .to provide such device with a means for engaging instruments and mouthpieces of different sizes.

A further obj-ect is to construct such device in a way in which its use or operation will not damage or injuriously affect the instrument, its finish or plating, which is light and compact and which is economical to manufacture and use.

These `and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following description and claim taken together with the accompanying drawing in which like parts are designated by like reference characters and wherein:

Figure 1 is a View showing the device engaging in instrument;

Figure 2 is a left-end View of the device;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the devicetaken along the lines 3--3' of the Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken along lines 4 4 of the Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a right-end view of the device taken along the lines 5,-5 of the Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a yside-view of a pair of tapered collars;

`Figure 7 is a` right elevation of a pair of collars; and

Figure 8 is a vertical-sectional View of a part of the device particularly showing how the. collars are mounted therein.

The instant invention consists of three primary parts; first, the stationary plate or fixed jaw. member, which is also referred to as the first or holder member; second, the movable plate or second jaw member; and the jack-screw members. Each of these elements will be described in detail in the order just set forth.

The stationary plate consists of a relatively flat piece of metal formed into a yoke-like frame I0.' This is provided with a lateral channel or opening I I, which is big enough to accommodate the largest mouth-piece of the largest band instrument the device is intended for. The opening II is substantially U-shaped, and the frame I0 is open at the top I2 so that the mouth-piece 34 may be easily set into it. The face I3 of the frame I0, that is the side facing the mouth-piece lip end 35, has a flange I4 inside of the opening I2. The frame I0 is provided with suitable legs I5, which are drilled for the screws I6 so that the plate member may be rigidly mounted on a table or other suitable base.

Inasmuch as the tool is intended for use with many different types and sizes of band instruments, and inasmuch as the tubular end portions, such as the end portion I1 illustrated, vary in diameter considerably, the tool is provided with removable and interchangeable collars, similar to the collar I8 illustrated, of different sizes. It has been found from experience that eleven different sized collars will accommodate practically all of the standard instruments.

The collars I8 are split diametrically so that they may be placed around the mouth-piece 34 at its circumferential surface just where it fits into the instrument end portion I1. These splits are indicated in the drawing by the character 2l). The outside diameter of the collars I8 are all the same. This outside diameter is such that all of the eleven collars in the set fit the opening I2 and cleanly abut the flange I4 as shown in the Figures 3, 4, and 5. The inside diameters of the collar openings I9 vary in size depending upon the particular instrument intended to be tted, and these openings I9 are slightly tapered as shown in the Figures 6 and 7, to facilitate engagement with the mouth-piece tube 34 adjacent to the instrument end portion |1.

In order to hold the split collars I8 in place on the stationary plate and to retain it around the mouth-piece 34, two spring clips 2| are mounted on the frame Ill; one on each side of the channel II, by means of the pins or rivets 22. 'Ihe top and bottom collar portions are each formed with simple recesses or indents 23, which receive or accommodate the clips 2| referred to.

The movable plate or second jaw member consists of a flat yoke-like frame 30 which is also provided with a U shaped lateral channel 3| also open at the top 32. This channel 3| has a similar flange means 33 which engages the lip end 35 of the mouth-piece 34. It has been found in practice that a channel 3| having a diameter of about one inch, will engage some receptive portion of the lip end of practically all standard mouth-pieces.

The two plates described are mounted parallel to each other with the channels Il and 3| in perfect alignment and as shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing. The jack-screws 40, of which there are two; one mounted on each side of the channels and 3|, are swivelly connected to the stationary plate ID in the manner and at the positions indicated by the characters 4| in the drawing. The threads 42 on the jack-screws 40 engage corresponding threads in the movable plate member 30 so that by turning the jackscrews 40 in the right direction, the plates IU and 30 are caused to become separated. The free ends of each of the jack-screws 40 are provided with the diametric slots 43 and slidable pins 44 to facilitate rotation thereof.

To use the tool the operator selects a collar IB which fits the mouth-piece 34 at a point where it engages the instrument I'I. The lower half of the collar member I8 is slipped into the channel II with the diametric split 20 facing upward or toward the top I2 of the frame I0. When this is done, the indents 23 of the bottom portion of the collar member I8 engage the lower halves of the spring clips 2| and are held in place thereby. Next, the instrument is placed in the channel and particularly in the lower half of the collar member I8 and the movable plate 30 ls positioned by the manipulation of the jackscrews so that the flange 33 engages some portion of the mouth-piece 34. This is clearly shown in the Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawing. The top half of the split collar member I8 is slipped into position under the clips 2| and around the mouth-piece 34 at the flanged opening and so that its outer surface also abuts the edge of the tubular end portion I1 of the instrument. Finally, by simultaneously or evenly turning the jack-screws 40 so that the plates I0 and 30 are separated, the mouth-piece 34 is gradually and smoothly withdrawn from the instrument proper without injury to any of the parts.

It will now be clear that there is provided by this invention a band instrument mouth-piece puller which accomplishes the objects of the invention. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention as described and illustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense as there are many other forms or modifications of the invention which are also considered to be within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A tool for removing the mouth-piece from a band instrument, comprising in combination, a rst plate member having a lateral opening therethrough, said opening being surrounded at one end by an annular recess, spring clips adjacent to the said opening and overlying said recess, a collar member having a tapered opening consisting of separable portions adapted to encircle the said mouthpiece and engage said instrument for exerting a thrust thereon in one direction, said collar member being seated in said recess behind said spring clips and having indents thereon engageable with the said spring clips, a second plate member adapted to engage with the said mouth-piece for exerting a thrust thereon in an opposite direction, and a jackscrew means operatively associated with the plate members in a manner whereby the two plate members may be separated thereby drawing the said instrument and mouth-piece apart.

J OSEPHUS THONIPSON. 

